1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for organizing surgical instruments, and particularly, to a surgical instrument tray useful for organizing ring-handled instruments.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ring-handled surgical instruments are normally separated and organized during surgical procedures and also prior to sterilization by being laid out on rolled-up cotton towels. The rolled-up cotton towels, which may have their outside edges taped, support the instruments such that the instruments can be more easily counted, selected and handled by a nurse or surgical technician. Generally, the technician or nurse grips the instruments on the lower portions of the instruments and places the ring handles of the instrument directly into the doctor's hand during operation.
Such rolled cotton towels, with the surgical instruments supported thereon, are usually laid out on a tray or a table. Sometimes, however, before and during use of the surgical instruments, the instruments supported on the rolled towel can become mixed and disorganized. Accordingly, the instruments become more difficult to count, select and handle prior to actual use of the instruments, or while the instruments are assembled prior to sterilization.
A few instrument stands, racks and trays are recognized in the prior art, but none provide a compact, inexpensive, and efficient manner in which to space and stack ring-handled surgical instruments.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,426,041 B1, issued Jul. 30, 2002, discloses a surgical instrument tray that can hold and display about one hundred ring-handled surgical instruments that are held and displayed in a perpendicular fashion. The tray has recesses of varying shape and size to accommodate certain instruments.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,624, issued Sep. 10, 1991, to S. Murphy et al., discloses a surgical instrument stand. The stand includes an elongated rectangular body and vertical compartments formed within the body for holding ring-handled surgical instruments.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,755, issued Mar. 25, 1996 to M. Ramsay, discloses a surgical instrument tray having a base with a raised portion to support lever members of ring-handled surgical instruments. The base is formed to have an end portion angulating away from the base with slots formed therein sized to receive the ring handles in order to hold the instruments.
Other patents showing surgical instrument trays include U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,863 B1, issued Jun. 18, 2002 to A. S. Dhindsa (system for organizing set of surgical instruments for endoscopic surgical procedure); U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,885 B1, issued Apr. 17, 2001 to C. Guillaume (a tray for grouping together medical instruments); U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,437, issued Dec. 12, 2000 to R. T. Vagley (method of performing a surgical procedure and associated surgical instrument for support tray); U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,693, issued Dec. 15, 1998 to Davis et al. (laparoscopic surgical tray with apertured clips); U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,472, issued Aug. 11, 1998 to M. S. Davis (surgical tray for sharp surgical instruments); U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,538, issued Mar. 23, 1993 to J. Eldridge, Jr. et al. (surgical instrument tray).
Additional patents showing surgical instrument trays include U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,804, issued Dec. 15, 1992 to J. Glassman (Mayo stand disposable drape); U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,151, issued Aug. 11, 1992 to C. A. Choate (instrument rack for supporting a plurality of instruments); U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,963, issued Mar. 24, 1992 to Chernosky et al. (sterile protective system for surgical instruments during a surgical operation); U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,271, issued Oct. 22, 1991 to S. Taub (method of supporting and retaining surgical instruments on a non-skid supporting surface); U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,590, issued Apr. 9, 1991 to J. Eldridge, Jr. et al. (surgical instrument tray); U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,466, issued Apr. 23, 1985 to T. G. Delang (surgical instrument organizer); U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,391, issued Aug. 3, 1982 to H. Schainholz (instrument count memorizer); U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,420, issued Oct. 21, 1980 to G. F. Smith et al. (surgical instrument rack); U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,254, issued Sep. 6, 1977 to S. Kramer (surgical trays); U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,944, issued Mar. 15, 1977 to D. A. Cooley et al. (disposable surgical equipment tray); U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,016, issued Feb. 25, 1975 to R. Szpur (magnetized surgical instrument tray restraint).
Further patents showing surgical instrument trays include U.S. Pat. Pub. No. US 2002/0074253 A1, published Jun. 20, 2002 and invented by K. Allen et al. (tray for medical instrumentation); U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2001/0035384 A1, published Nov. 1, 2001 and invented by Davis et al. (instrument organizer with movable stabilizing post); U.S. Pat. No. U.S. 471,641 S, issued Mar. 11, 2003 to D. McMichael et al. (surgical kit tray); U.S. Pat. No. Des. 276,462, issued Nov. 20, 1984 to I. Villarreal (surgical instrument tray) U.S. Pat. No. Des. 262,824, issued Jan. 26, 1982 to B. Diguan (surgical tray for ophthalmic instruments); U.S. Pat. No. Des. 249,362, issued Sep. 12, 1978 to T. Forsman et al. (surgical instrument tray); U.S. Pat. No. Des. 248,871, issued Aug. 8, 1978 to T. Forsman et al. (surgical instrument tray); and UK Patent No. GB 2 360 759 A, published Oct. 3, 2001 (surgical instrument tray with removable lid).
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a grooved angled tray for ring-handled surgical instruments solving the aforementioned problems is desired.